Federal Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese, has sent a message to Australia’s Greek community ahead of Orthodox Easter this Sunday.
In his message, Mr Albanese expressed his hope that Greeks across the country “can finally gather safely with your family and in your Churches” this year to celebrate the resurrection.
The University of Peloponnese in Greece has decided to revoke the title of honorary professor bestowed on Russian President Vladimir Putin, protothema.gr reports.
The Russian President had received the honorary title in 2018 from the University’s Department of History, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage.
This move comes after Theodoros Papatheodorou, a professor and former rector of the University as well as a former deputy minister of education, launched a petition calling for all of Putin’s honorary titles from Greek universities to be rescinded.
The petition received over 500 signatures.
In a statement on Facebook, Papatheodorou said the decision to revoke Putin’s title was “a correct and necessary” one.
“A dynamic civil society and the university community are finally on the right side of history,” Papatheodorou concluded.
Source: protothema.gr.
The Greek government will raise the minimum wage from May 1 for a second time this year, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday in a televised address.
“The global surge in inflation is hitting low incomes. From May 1 the basic wage will rise by €50 a month to €713 a month,” Mitsotakis said.
The conservative government raised the monthly gross minimum wage by about 2 percent to €663 in January, meaning that with the new increase the minimum wage will go up by 9.7 percent.
During his address, Mitsotakis acknowledged that pay levels are “indeed low in our country.”
“The wounds of the 10-year financial crisis have not healed and now the surge of inflation globally hurts first and foremost the low incomes and the unemployed,” Mitsotakis said.
“My decision today is centered towards them.”
The pay increase has been criticised by the Opposition party however, with the SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance stating that it “is not even enough to pay electricity bills.”
SYRIZA also claimed that the Mitsotakis government’s “collapse is now final and irreversible” and promised to raise the minimum wage to 800 euros if elected in the next elections.
Source: Ekathimerini.
Over 1,000 chocolate Easter eggs have been delivered to sick young patients at the Sydney Children’s Hospital, the St George Hospital Children’s Ward and the Ronald McDonald House Randwick.
Easter eggs were also recently distributed to the Bayside Women’s Shelter, Pantry for the People and Street Buffet, which provides meals for the homeless.
This exciting surprise was made possible after the Saint Elesa Food Initiative, which is run by the Greek Orthodox Parish and Community in Kogarah, launched its annual ‘Chocolate Easter Egg Drive.’
Parish priest, Father Athanasios Giatsios, tells The Greek Herald the Easter drive was initially meant to be a small local initiative but once word spread, everyone wanted to donate chocolate.
Among the list of donators are Acropolis Funerals, the Symian Association of NSW – O Taxiarchis, the Mascot Kings Football Club and Christopher’s Cake Shop, as well as many others.
Once donated, the chocolate Easter eggs were delivered to the children’s hospitals and other organisations by His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia together with the President of the Parish, Nicholas Varvaris, and members of the Ladies Philoptochos.
Father Athanasios says that despite being unable to physically enter the hospitals due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was still an honour to be able to bring a smile to the faces of sick children and their families.
“We know that a lot of these children and their families are doing it tough throughout the year. Sometimes they are lacking the basic stuff we take for granted and for them [to receive the chocolate] means that people care for them,” the parish priest says.
“Staff have told us that the kids go crazy when they see the chocolate eggs. Making the effort to make them smile means the world to us.”
In a statement to The Greek Herald, the Head of Fundraising and Marketing at Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney, Rob Novotny, says they are “so grateful to the Kogarah Orthodox Church for their donation of Easter goodies and groceries for our pantry.”
“The chocolate bunnies and hot cross buns were a big hit with the sick and injured children staying at the House and the pantry donation was a big relief for their parents,” Mr Novotny says.
“Donations like this make it possible for us to support the families with seriously ill or injured children receiving treatment at the Sydney Children’s Hospital.
“After a long day at the hospital, for a family it makes all the difference to be able to help themselves to the pantry instead of going grocery shopping. It saves the families time, money and gives them more energy to concentrate on what’s most important – family!”
If you would like to make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney, please visit www.rmhcsydney.org.au.
The Greek Presidential Guard is set to arrive in Victoria on Wednesday, April 20 for an official visit which will last until Friday, April 29.
The visit was announced by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on March 23 during a Greek Independence Day event held by the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, at the Hellenic Museum.
READ MORE: Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Hellenic Museum honour Greek National Day.
During their visit, the Evzones will participate in a number of commemorative events honouring those who fought in World War I.
Their first official event will be on Thursday, April 21 at the ANZAC Day Commemorative Service at the Lemnos Gallipoli Square in Albert Park.
On Friday, April 22 they will partake in an ANZAC Day Service at the Austin Repatriation Hospital. Later that night, the Evzones will be at the Greek Orthodox Church of St Anargiri in Oakleigh for the procession of the Epitaphio in the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
On Sunday, April 24, two separate groups of Evzones will also attend the Orthodox Easter church services at the Holy Monastery Panagias “Axion Esti” in Northcote and St Efstathios Cathedral in South Melbourne.
Monday, April 25 is an important day for the Greek Presidential Guard as they will lead the Allies and the entire Greek contingent during the official ANZAC Day Parade and wreath laying ceremony at Victoria’s Shrine of Remembrance. The event is being hosted by the Victorian Returned Services League.
During their visit the Evzones will visit AGAPI Care Inc and the PRONIA Welfare Centre in Brunswick and they will also attend ANZAC Day School Concerts and Assemblies at St Johns Greek Orthodox College, Oakleigh Gramma and Doncaster Secondary College.
On their last day of official events, Thursday, April 28, the Evzones will attend the official opening of the ‘Open Horizons’ exhibition at Melbourne Museum, which is set to be launched by the Greek Minister for Culture, Lina Mendoni.
Tha Greek Presidential Guard is comprised of three Officers and 13 Evzones.
Major Sakellaropoulos Vasilios (Ilia), Captain Kouloumpas Stavros (Kastoria), Sargeant Theodorou Efthymios (Thessalia) and Evzones Vlachos Ioannis (Evoia), Koukiadakis Michail (Crete), Paterakis Nikolaos (Athens), Pagonakis Marios (Crete), Ladas Konstantinos (Peiraeus), Mandalos Nikolaos (Peloponnisos), Xenakis Dimitrios (Crete), Evaggelatos Panagiotis (Eptanisa), Papathanasis Konstantinos (Aitoloakarnania), Papakyriakidis Petros (Macedonia), Stasinopoulos Sotirios (Peloponnisos), Grigoriadis Stylianos (Pontos), Bassiakos Athanasios (Sterea Ellada).
READ MORE: Jenny Mikakos: ‘I’m excited Minister Mendoni is coming to Melbourne’.
The iconic snack bar in South Australia is a dying breed, The Advertiser has reported. But that hasn’t stopped three Australians of Greek heritage fighting to keep the tradition alive for as long as possible.
Who are they and why are they persevering? The Greek Herald finds out.
Theo Tsacos has run The Fenix Snack Bar on St Vincent Street at Port Adelaide for 17 years and he tells The Advertiser he’s sad to see that snack bars are a “dying breed.”
But despite this, Theo’s snack bar continues to be a thriving eatery which serves made-to-order sandwiches and rolls, alongside more exotic choices such as bolognese, roast beef or pizza.
The Cafe Ritz at 3/180 Gawler Place in Adelaide is a multi-generational family business which continues to thrive.
Tim Mazios tells the local newspaper how he grew up in the café his parents ran, serving customers after school, and now his kids are joining in on the family tradition.
Royalty Snack Bar at 65 Angas St, Adelaide is well-known for its freshly roasted coffee, delicious sandwiches and vintage signage.
Bill Basilios Roumeliotis has owned and worked at the snack bar for 16 years and he says the key to his success is just being a “traditional coffee shop” which provides “quality products with fresh ingredients at a fair price.”
Source: The Advertiser.
When he was a child, Dr Peter Higgs used to visit the British Museum regularly with his parents and school and was fascinated by the large-scale sculptures, especially those from the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos.
But his connection to the ancient world started years earlier.
“My great uncle had in his back garden a marble full-size copy of the famous Laokoon statue group. I cannot remember it, I was only a toddler, but apparently, I loved it, and had to be stopped numerous times from clambering all over it,” the British Museum’s acting keeper of Greek collections tells The Greek Herald.
“I have only recently seen this statue again, blurred and in the background of a photo of my great aunt Jessie in her garden where the statue was on proud display. I do not know how my great aunt and uncle came to have such a monumental sculptural group or where it is now, but it must have lit a large ember inside me that fuelled my passion for ancient Greek sculpture.”
We sat down with Dr Higgs to learn about the Ancient Greeks exhibition, the importance and limitations of competition in the modern world and his favourite objects.
-Dr Higgs, you chose all but two of the 178 objects featured in the Ancient Greeks exhibition. What were the criteria for the objects that made it to this exhibition?
The exhibition is based around the theme of competition, both in life and in death and is divided into several sections that specifically relate to this theme. The objects were carefully selected to each tell a story relating to the section they are presented in and, in many instances, to ‘speak’ to each other both visually and in terms of narrative. They were also selected because of their aesthetic quality – or because they displayed a certain technical skill.
Many of the selected objects relate to the activities and aspirations of real people- the Greek gods and heroes play a key role – but this exhibition is about real people. Archaeology generally permits us only to understand the upper classes in society –whereas others generally left little trace behind.
But real people are very much are in the exhibition, particularly in the section about Society – they do the work in the fields, produce the food, look after the children and home giving their employers the opportunity to go and train the gymnasium, to write plays, to show off their wealth in public society or go off to war – without the ‘working’ classes the rich would have had little free time to pursue these competitive activities.
The objects in the exhibition can be easily arranged thematically, telling stories and teaching us things that are very relevant and personal, even to the modern-day visitor of all backgrounds and cultures. Many of the objects are works of art that can be enjoyed aesthetically as well as displaying the great technical skills of the ancient Greek craftsmen.
– What made you choose ‘Competition’ as this exhibition’s theme?
We wanted the exhibition to tell a story about real people and their aspirations in life and death. This helps modern day viewers to engage more with these people who lived such a long time ago.
We all follow or practice sport and have heard of the Olympic Games. We watch many modern-day TV programmes about competitions – singing, baking, dress-making, gardening, interior design… the list goes on – but these help us to feel closer to the people of the past and understanding that people in ancient societies were not all that different form us.
The exhibition also demonstrates how the spirit of competition can be creative and starts at an early age. There is competition in obvious activities such as athletics, horse-racing and in the performing arts, but also in more subtle everyday activities such as how the Greeks dressed, the jewellery that they wore – which in the exhibition is made from a variety of different value materials – from cheaper clay to gold with precious stones.
It also demonstrates how important it was for the ancient Greeks from more affluent classes to be remembered after death – to present themselves as model citizens. It also provided us with the opportunity to show competition on a vast scale – with the sculptures from one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos – as this monument demonstrates the competitive aspirations of a megalomaniac ruler!
There is a psychological form of competition with the trails and tribulations of two ‘troubled’ ancient Greek heroes – Herakles and Achilles who battled their inner demons to succeed. Finally, the sad result of competition was the ever-present war that divided Greeks states from Greeks for much of the period concerned. Yet warfare was an extremely popular subject on Greek pottery, gems, sculptures etc.
-What intrigues you about the Ancient Greek art and culture?
The reasons for being so interested in ancient Greek art and culture are numerous and diverse.
There is the visual connection – the large temples, tombs and sculptures that have so inspired sculptors and architects over time. There are the great legends and tales of epic heroes, gods and goddesses which we have known since childhood and the great legacies of the Greek world – wonderfully profound stories turned into plays and then there is the Olympic Games – an early and lasting attempt to promote peace through shared pursuits.
The diverse nature of the material culture of the ancient Greeks and regional differences also interests me greatly and how different areas interpreted stories and artistic styles. It is also extremely important to remember how the Greeks encountered other cultures, sharing ideas and absorbing others.
-What messages do you wish the visitors of this exhibition to take with them?
Firstly, to engage with the Ancient Greeks and feel closer to them through common activities – and to understand the complex nature of ancient Greek society. To remember that the Greeks settled over vast areas of the Mediterranean basin and encountered people from other societies and cultures on their travels to find new areas to settle, people to traced with and resources to discover.
On a more visual level we would hope people have a better understanding of ancient technologies, marble and bronze sculpture techniques, pottery painting and jewellery and gem engraving.
Finally, that competition can be creative but if taken too far can be destructive – we need to learn from the past – unity is better than conflict.
-Which exhibits are your 5 favourite ones and why?
Chalcedony gem with Nike building a battle trophy – This is a superb piece – one of the finest ancient Gem intaglios in existence – that work is extremely fine. Nike is so engrossed with building up the arms and armour of the defeated army into a trophy on the battlefield that her clothes begin to fall around her. It shows how hard this goddess worked.
Bronze head of a combat sportsman – this piece is a rare example of an ancient bronze – as many were melted down post-antiquity but this is also extremely high quality and a very engaging piece. The athlete looks battered and bruised and we have a theory that the gashes in the metal might have originally been filled with copper as if they represent bloody wounds or scars.
Terracotta figure of a woman rolling our dough in the Society section – like the goddess Nike on the gem – this is a person totally engaged in what they are doing – it is a snapshot of a working day for a woman who supplies the bakery/household with a staple part of the diet – without her hard work – the athletes would have no energy to train/compete and the writers no brain food to create music or plays. The soldier would go hungry and the people in high society would have nothing to feed their families or guests.
Marble frieze block from the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos – This scene has the Greeks fighting the Amazon women – a common theme in ancient Greek art – and is full of energy – each figure interacts with another – and the scene is equal – a very clever way that the Greeks showed legendary battles and a device that ultimately raised the reputation of the Greeks as great warriors -– their opponents were strong and not a push over – indicating that the Greeks believed themselves to be super powerful and ultimately won the battle against their formidable legendary and actual enemies.
Bronze plaque showing early life of Achilles – This is an extremely rare example of the story of how Achilles was made invulnerable when his mother, the goddess Thetis, dipped him in the river stick holding his ankle. This is hardly ever shown in ancient Greek art – and there are only a few examples from the Roman period such as this small plaque. Some of the stories we today associate so closely with the Trojan Wars seem to have been very rarely represented in ancient Greek art – two such examples being – the story of Achilles heel and the Trojan horse.
Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Journeys and Connections has arrived at Melbourne Museum. This world-first exhibition offers visitors a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the most extraordinary collection items from the prestigious National Archaeological Museum in Athens, many on display for the very first time outside of Greece.
This exhibition is a creative partnership between Melbourne Museum and the National Archaeological Museum, the first museum established in Greece following independence, and home to the richest collection of artefacts from Greek antiquity worldwide.
The exhibition features 44 emblematic objects from NAM’s collection, which encompass four millennia of ancient Greek history. More than artworks, these objects are indicative of the lives of people. They show glimpses of human connection and tell stories of cross-cultural exchange.
Among these objects is a colossal head of Zeus, the Ancient Greek god of the sky and thunder, king of all the gods of Mount Olympus and the chief figure in Greek mythology. Found in Aigeira, Achaia in 1916 and sculpted from Pentelic marble, the head is 77cm high and weighs 400 kilograms.
Another impressive exhibit is a 2,500-year-old Archaic sphinx that has never before left the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, made of Pentelic marble that was found at Spata, Attica in 1879. The sphinx – a hybrid creature with the head of a woman, body of a lion and wings of a bird – was set on top of a tall grave stele as a guardian. Remarkably, remnants of the original polychrome decoration are preserved on the hair and polos (headdress) as well as on the wings.
Minister for Creative Industries, Danny Pearson, says: “Victoria is home to one of the largest Greek communities in the world and this exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate their rich history while showcasing their culture to visitors from across the nation.”
“The Andrews Government is proud to bring this exclusive exhibition to Victoria, providing visitors of all ages an opportunity to learn about and connect with Ancient Greek culture, and how it continues to influence our lives today,” Mr Pearson adds.
Dr Lina Mendoni, Minister of Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, says: “Since antiquity, the Greeks have always followed the open horizons of the sea, constantly travelling to every corner of the world.”
“Extroversion, broad-mindedness and cosmopolitanism, as well as the ability to embrace and utilize foreign influences in a creative and original way, have been integral elements of Hellenic culture,” Minister Mendoni says.
“A culture the Greeks carry with them no matter how far from home they find themselves. This exhibition is an expression of homage and tribute.”
READ MORE: Jenny Mikakos: ‘I’m excited Minister Mendoni is coming to Melbourne’.
Lynley Crosswell, CEO and Director of Museums Victoria, says: “This is a rare opportunity for our visitors to experience these exquisite objects from the most significant collection of Greek antiquity in the world.”
“Melbourne Museum is proud to collaborate with the National Archaeological Museum to deliver this wonderfully contemporary exhibition, that draws on the creative skills and industries that Melbourne is so well known for,” Ms Crosswell adds.
Dr Anna Vasiliki Karapanagiotou, Director at the National Archaeology Museum Greece, explains: “The exhibition Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Journeys and Connections constitutes a creative collaboration between Melbourne Museum and the National Archaeological Museum.”
“The imaginative thread that runs through the exhibition underlines the life-giving influence of diverse populations and civilizations on ancient Greek identity,” Dr Karapanagiotou continues.
“Today Australia is home to one of the largest Greek communities in the world. The state of Victoria is the heartland of the Greek-Australian community. It is a great honour that Melbourne Museum is hosting antiquities from our Museum, some of which are “travelling” outside Greece for the first time.”
To mark the opening of Open Horizons, Melbourne Museum has designed a program full of family-friendly activities. The opening weekend program includes story time readings for children, guided exhibition tours, hands-on activities and a special guest lecture by Dr Karapanagiotou, Director of National Archaeological Museum, on the afternoon of Saturday, April 23.
Open Horizons runs from 23 April–14 August. For more information on the program, and tickets (included with general entry to Melbourne Museum), visit museumsvictoria.com.au/open-horizons
Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Journeys and Connections opens Saturday 23 April. Tickets included with general entry to Melbourne Museum.
After 22 years since it was abandoned in Cyprus, this June ferry services are set to commence again between Limassol and Athens.
Cypriot authorities have said that they will give out the details of the preferred bidder for the once very successful ferry line at a later date with more details as they have them.
“The tender review process among the three finalist bidders has been completed,” said the deputy ministry.
“The preferred bidder is expected to submit final contractual documents within a few days,” it went on to say.
The returning service is set to depart from Limassol again and transport passengers and vehicles to the Athens port, Piraeus.
The Deputy Shipping Minister of Cyprus, Vassilios Demetriades announced reviving the ferry service will be extremely beneficial to the relationship between the countries and building more connections in the Mediterranean.
“Reviving the ferry connection will help us to continue building our relationship with the rest of the Mediterranean and we welcome the opportunity to expand the ferry link to a third neighbouring country beyond Greece too,” said Mr Demetriades.
Source: Tornos News
The Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (Vic) (HACCI) last week partnered with the Greek Youth Generator (GYG) to host ‘Meet n Greek,’ a next-generation networking event.
Held at South Yarra’s Botanical Hotel on the evening of Thursday, April 14, the event brought together more than 60 Hellenic Australian youth with a select group of HACCI’s industry-leading mentors, to build new connections and forge pathways into the business and professional community.
GYG is a social and cultural innovation incubator aimed at bringing young people’s ideas to life. It aims to increase awareness, accessibility, and creativity in the community space.
“This event was an amazing opportunity for GYG members to rub shoulders with some of our community’s most inspirational mentors and soak up some sage advice,” GYG co-founder, Dean Kotsianis, said.
“The mentors were all so generous with their time, and I know our members took a lot of value from the conversations they had. Hopefully some of the connections we made on the night will continue to grow into the future.”
HACCI is our community’s premier business and professional network. It has a four-decade history of building connections between people and businesses in Australia and Greece.
“One of HACCI’s key goals is to foster the next generation of Hellenic Australian business and professional leaders, which we’ve been doing for many years through our hugely successful internship and mentoring programs,” HACCI Chair, Fotini Kypraios, said.
“Events like this are pivotal to building genuine connections between current and future business and community leaders. HACCI mentors are always happy to share their experiences with the next generation to give back and help pave the way for leaders of the future.”
The event was supported by HACCI’s Chamber Partner Bank of Sydney, Community Partner Hellenic Power, Corporate Partners Greek Media Group, Intralot Australia, Jobsbank, Patras Group, Prisma Legal, Procal Dairies, and The Content Engine.